


Photo of a Child in the Moon

by TiRaven (Estirose)



Category: Power Rangers R.P.M.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-08-03
Updated: 2014-03-11
Packaged: 2017-10-22 04:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/233585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/TiRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. A rupture in time has given the people of Corinth a glimpse of their futures. For some people, it's all they need to force themselves into power behind the scenes, even as Venjix tries to attack Corinth, and to salvage and continue a project they thought lost.</p><p>Mentions of mpreg. See notes for more details.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason, in the middle of part one my brain suddenly decided to use the background setup from Terolalaine (though not any of the events), specifically Alelian Disorder, the medication Terolalaine, and Ziggy's background as given there. I don't intend for it to become a major part of the story, but it's mentioned in a few lines in part 1. Still, since guys with Alelian Disorder can get pregnant, I thought I might warn for it even if no actual mpreg happens in the story.

Ziggy was ready to throw his arms up frustration as his new employer glared at him. Really, as much as he didn't mind being out of prison, he could have really have done without the conditions of his parole including working with the stubborn, sarcastic scientist. He'd been trying to get along with her for the last three weeks.

He blamed it all on the pictures, or rather, their subjects. Nobody was sure where the ghostly figures had come from, but signs had pointed towards some point in the future. They'd shown him the picture, with him holding a girl with curly dark hair and talking to the scientist before him. And apparently some of the stuff had bled into their place and time, providing proof that Ziggy was the father of the woman's child.

Or so the people who had given him the position had told him.

When he'd left the jail, Ziggy hadn't really cared. So, play lab assistant, get some chick into bed. Hadn't sounded too bad, actually. That was of course before he actually met Doctor K, who had started out interrogating him about his science knowledge and found out how bad he was on the subject. "Look," he'd said, "I'll just stand here, be handsome, and hand you test tubes, okay?"

She'd glared at him and told him that she wasn't that kind of scientist. He wished he'd talked back to then, maybe he'd be back in jail where at least he knew how to deal with the people. But no, he had to be his usual charming self and smile at her insults, driven by a desire to stay on the good side of people who provided him with the essentials of life and kept him out of jail.

And there was no just leaving. The anklet he wore would prevent him from leaving the facility, and the people who had placed it had promised that while trying to leave wouldn't kill him, it would be very, very painful. Ziggy had no desire to be in that much pain, to be honest. At least they hadn't reminded him that he was supposed to be sleeping with her.

There was no way in hell she'd want him in her bed anytime soon, nor did he himself have any desire. She was pretty, he had to admit, and he wouldn't mind being a dad, but he could not picture himself ever having sex with her in order to have that kid. Which was probably why he was living on a storeroom on a pile of pillows and a comforter. Doctor K apparently found him as attractive as he did her.

"Never mind," Doctor K said, storming off.

Ziggy did throw up his arms at this point, and stalked back to his room. The lady's handlers would probably want a report soon, and he debated whether to tell them that everything was working out fine or that there wasn't a chance in hell that what they wanted wasn't ever going to happen.

Probably would be easier to tell them what they wanted to hear. It saved them from threatening him. But then again, if it got him away from her, he'd listen to their threats. It wouldn't matter what she thought of him, he'd be out of her life. That future didn't have to happen.

Sure, he kind of enjoyed taking care of her - he did the laundry, made her meals, ran her bath, and even was allowed to pick up equipment under her close supervision. But mostly he enjoyed it, as long as he didn't have to deal with her much. And he got the feeling that they were more interested about his performance in bed.

He closed his eyes, hoping a nap would make things better.

'''''

He'd been summoned for a meeting with the people handling his parole in the midst of a swirl of activity. He had to admit he felt some resentment about being pulled out of his routine of breakfast and housekeeping.

He was led out of the lab and living area where Doctor K did her work, into a room someplace in the complex. Two people were sitting inside. He'd never gotten their names, so he called the woman Ms. Plum and the man Mr. Scarlet. He was sure he had the game mixed up, but it wasn't his kind of thing anyway.

"So, you want to know my progress, huh?" he asked. These people weren't much for small talk and it would speed things up anyway. "I don't think I'm ever going to end up in bed with her. Other than that, I do just fine."

There was a hint of a smile on the woman's face. "Weren't you the one who said you could deliver?"

"Well, yeah, but someone forgot to tell me that I was supposed to be seducing a driven scientist with no social skills. Cons depend on someone wanting to believe, and that woman doesn't have a bone of belief in her entire body, I swear!"

"That's your problem," the man said, looking at a tablet. "You agreed to the terms, we expect you to carry them out."

"Of course," Plum said, "We realize that this may take a while." She delivered a glare at Scarlet. "Just gain her confidence and do what you need to do."

"Gain her confidence." That seemed impossible, even for him. He had to admit he hadn't given it a whole lot of chance, but he still didn't find it likely that it was going to happen. "And what if I don't?"

"We have a backup plan," Scarlet said, still studying his tablet.

"We're sure you can pull it off," Plum said with a tight smile. "If you can't, there's always Plan B."

"A Plan B is always good," Ziggy agreed. "Yeah, I'm not too sure about this whole thing. I like housekeeping and all, but when you're not attracted, you're not attracted." It was simple enough.

Besides, from the time he'd spent with Doctor K, he'd found out that the lady was producing what Corinth needed to withstand Venjix. It made no sense for her to get pregnant.

"You know what makes you valuable to us, Ziggy Grover?" Plum asked, leaning back in her chair. Somehow, she looked prettier when she relaxed.

"My sense of humor and ability to keep absentminded scientists fed?" Ziggy asked.

"That, and what's inside you." She leaned forward. "We don't just need your housekeeping skills, Mr. Grover. We need your genes."

"To be specific," Scarlet added, not looking up from his tablet, "the genes that give you Alelian Disorder."

Plum gave a quick nod. "Who would have thought such a disorder would be so valuable to what's left of the human race? To have people that are both male and female."

"Guy. Thank you very much." Ziggy didn't like where this was going.

"Technically speaking, you are both, no matter your gender identity." Scarlet pushed up his glasses with one glove.

"I can guarantee that you'd find Plan A much, much more pleasant than Plan B," Plum said, and there was a sparkle in her eyes, as if she'd prefer to go to plan B and watch him go through a couple of months of agony. "After all, if you're not a valuable resource in one way, you can be one in another."

Ziggy had to gulp. It was the unpleasant, honest truth. If he failed, it wouldn't be jail for him, but confinement of another kind.

"But, as she said," Scarlet said, "You are capable of doing your duty, given time. I'm sure you'll be able to find it in yourself."

"Keep trying," Plum added, getting up and offering Ziggy a hand up. "You'll be a father one way or another, don't worry."

He took her hand. He had no clue on what to do, but he'd figure it out. When it came to getting himself out of things, he was pretty smart. He had to give them the idea he was going to be obedient until he could figure his way out of there.

And as the two of them escorted him back, he realized that he had someone even smarter, if he could persuade Doctor K to help him out. He grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

"I wish we had better material to work with," Michael Linden moaned as he watched the man disappear into the bowels of the lab. He looked over at his colleague. "I realize he's invaluable, but...."

"Alelian Disorder," Maria O'Farrell reminded him. "And the fact that he is her child's father. We work with what we have." She was fascinated herself with the young man's genetic condition, and she hadn't been the only one who saw the value in someone that was effectively intersex. The future of the world did depend on people like Ziggy Grover and his condition.

And it wasn't like the man had to become a father immediately. It would be useful if the two of them were parents as soon as possible, but the child in question wouldn't be born for years. Maria expected both of them to go into some kind of rebellion once they figured it out. In fact, she was counting on it, because she doubted Ziggy Grover would be able to keep his mouth shut.

But once the two of them were used to their captivity of sorts, she was sure they'd settle down and become fine parents. Ziggy Grover might be a kind of weasel, but as he'd said, he was good at the housework and she didn't doubt he'd take good care of his children.

Before, they would never have thought to have their captive scientists raise children. Yes, they did use surrogate parents and such to try to raise a new generation of smart children, but their genius parents couldn't afford to be distracted by parenthood, so their group kept children away from parents, raising them instead.

Doctor K, as they had named her, was not exactly ideal mother material, but her partner more than made up for that. The child would no doubt be smart, and while any children the couple had wouldn't have their father's condition – Doctor K didn't have the genes – they would be carriers. And with two parents capable of childbearing, they wouldn't wear either of them out with childbirth.

It would go fine. All the couple in question had to realize that they had no choice in the matter. Doctor K was smart, and she had no place to go this time. Ziggy Grover wasn't so much, but he knew how things went in the real world, and he had been part of the mob. He knew that betrayal carried a price, a very, very high price.

In his case, she'd seen in his eyes what the price would be. He wasn't that keen on being pregnant himself, and the threat of same might keep him in line for a while. Eventually, yes, they needed him to cooperate in that. But in the meantime, it was a useful threat.

She smiled, knowing that everything was going to be fine, and said so to Michael. Her partner frowned at her, poking at his tablet which kept everything they needed on there and nothing they didn't. Those without the correct lock code for his tablet would find it with the occasional note and a bunch of apps aimed at kids; he and she knew how to use it otherwise.

"If you say so," he said finally. He was the doubter of the bunch, and she liked him because he was good at practical matters, better than she in some ways. In return, she had the imagination they needed to deal with their one remaining scientist and the young man that she'd apparently been paired with.

When the pictures had shown up, others had seen them and recognized Doctor K immediately. The young man with her had presented much more of a challenge, but someone who knew someone who knew somebody else had recognized the young Scorpion Cartel member. They'd done research on him, stolen biological samples, and recognized what they'd had.

The group had recognized the usefulness of certain genetic conditions anyway, but the discovery of what exactly this young man carried was considered a good sign. Doctor K needed someone to keep house, anyway, so why not use him in more than one way?

Of course, that was the simple part. Getting him into and then out of jail was harder, but she'd let someone else handle that part. The main thing she and Michael were responsible for was to keep an eye on the two and make sure that Ziggy Grover was motivated to do what he needed to do.

Which included, she had been amused to realize, letting him rebel. It would probably bring him closer to Doctor K, or at least Doctor K closer to him. If she could see him as more than a caretaker, then things should proceed. Maybe not smoothly, but they would proceed, and the couple would have kids. They didn't have to be close, in fact that helped if they weren't, but at least they had to cooperate.

Maria would make sure they would. That was her strength, after all. Facilitating things, making them easier, making them work. That's why she'd been hired for the DIR project a long time ago, because when getting scientists to do things by force didn't always work, sweet talking usually did. Heck, there was a child of hers from this, somewhere, maybe still alive, maybe having made it to Corinth long before she did. She didn't know. She didn't really care.

She was maternal, but it only applied to adults. She didn't care for parenthood, and the Organization knew it. But getting scientists to work? She was good at that.

And it appeared that getting fairly meek, low-self-esteemed former mob lackeys to cooperate worked just as well. She was proud of that, proud of her ability to get things working as she needed them to. When they'd interviewed her, she'd stressed her interpersonal skills, her ability to get things done by getting others to do them. She liked the scientists, in her own way, and in their own way. She was fascinated by how people worked and how they could be manipulated. And she had to confess, that it would be fascinating to see how well a man adapted to carrying to term.

But that would be years in the future. She contented herself with the idea that everything was going according to plan, and it was her plan that would succeed in the end.


	3. Chapter 3

Ziggy himself was almost relieved to be going back to Doctor K. She didn't like him, but that was okay. She had no agenda other than to keep humanity alive, and in a so much better way than his captors of sorts. Their captors. 

Hey, maybe that was how they'd ended up together! Because of their captors. Because of course, Doctor K couldn't go much of anywhere either, in a way. In the same way most everyone else couldn't go much of anywhere. But he doubted that these shadowy people handling his parole were trying to orchestrate any more babies. At least he hoped not.

He still wasn't going to be sleeping with Doctor K any time soon. Maybe he'd convince her to at least get him a cot if he told her what was going on. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. If she knew why he was there... well, hopefully she wouldn't throw him out, because pregnancy sounded really, really painful on his end. And that's what he was sure what would happen. If they couldn't get him to get Doctor K pregnant, they'd use him to make sure a child was born, one way or another.

Gulp.

He walked into the kitchen of the small lab and living space, thinking of some way to break it to her that her handlers were trying to get her to have a kid in the middle of saving the world. Which was still a really, really bad idea. Barring that, he really should make sure she had dinner. And then he'd break it to her. Hopefully she wouldn't feel like throwing up. That didn't seem to be her way of doing things, at least.

He got out some rice, added in some corn and some peas, deciding that Mexican was the way to go. Or at least pseudo-Mexican food. Fake Mexican food. Something resembling it.

She was still in her lab when it was suppertime, so he dared to go in. "Dinner! Come on, you gotta eat."

"I'm very aware of that." Still, she took her time in saving and coming to the table. It was this small glass-and-metal thing that could have come from an IKEA, and probably had at some point, before the world ended. He wasn't complaining. He let her sit down before offering the food to her - she didn't like it dished out on her plate, he'd found out quickly.

He sometimes wondered about her background, but it never seemed to be the right time to ask. And it wasn't now. Instead, he served himself. She might not have been keen at him sharing a table with her, but she seemed to take his presence with a resigned annoyance.

"So, anything happen while I was gone?" he asked, just to break the ice. Chip at the ice, really. Do something.

She glared at him, with the look that said that he had no chance of understanding what she was talking about and he'd better just stop right then and there.

"Okay, okay, I wouldn't understand. I got that." He put up his hands, fully aware that the woman was brilliant beyond understanding.

"Is there some reason you're attempting conversation?" she asked, and he knew that this usually meant to avoid her like the plague, except when it came to cleaning up around there or to make sure she ate.

"Well, it has to do with that meeting I had." Brilliant way to rush the words out, of course, but having started, he kept going. "You see, apparently you and I had kids. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

Some part of him was giggling hysterically at having any sort of kid with this woman.

"I had wondered if that was the reason for your presence." She worked on her rice. "However, I felt that it was unlikely that you and I would have become parents together."

"The same thing for me! I mean, ex-con, brilliant scientist... I think they have the wrong guy, to be honest." He leaned back in his chair, feeling anything but relaxed. "I don't think this is gonna happen, but they do, and if I can't get you pregnant... I'll end up that way myself."

She stared at him, taking in his skinny, but thankfully masculine appearance. "You're intersex?"

"Seriously, that didn't come up when I came here? Yeah, I'm Alelian. But I'm a guy. Don't want to get you pregnant, and I don't wanna get in the family way, either."

She was looking at him thoughtfully, in the way a scientist might look at a laboratory specimen. It was starting to give him the creeps.

"So, yeah. I wanted to tell you why I'm here. It wasn't just some program to rehabilitate harmless cons." He was proud of the words he used; they were pretty fancy.

"I see." She at least wasn't staring at him anymore, which was a really good thing. He hoped this wouldn't change their relationship. Such as it was.

"Anyway, eat. I'm gonna eat too, and we're going to pretend this conversation never happened." It wasn't like she could do anything, after all, and neither could he. 

"Why?" she asked abruptly.

"You don't know why you need to eat?" Ziggy asked. Of course she knew how to eat- oh.

"No, why should I pretend this conversation never happened?"

"Um, because it would be a bad thing if these people realized I just told you their grand plan?"

"I am well aware of the need of certain people for secrecy. I was not aware of this particular plan, though it would not be unreasonable for me to discover it by means of direct communication."

"Yeah, but I still told you what it was." People who did that kind of thing in his world usually disappeared. Maybe it was a good thing if he did. As usual, his mouth had run ahead of his head. "Without you figuring it out."

She gave an exasperated sigh and returned to her food. Which he was glad to see. 

"So, yeah, I think I'm in trouble."

He didn't realize how much trouble he was actually in. The very next morning, when the Rangers were out, she led him into the lab room with no explanation. 

"Where do you want me to start cleaning?" he asked. He'd been occasionally in there, when Doctor K needed something done that her servos couldn't handle. That was one of the cool parts, being able to see the Ranger suits when they weren't in action.

"You are not maintaining the facility this morning." She settled behind the desk she used when she was monitoring the Rangers' training. Suddenly, the monitor area slid shut, and Ziggy was left standing in the lab.

"Then what am I doing?"

One of the room monitors flashed on, and K's voice came through, extremely distorted. "I am testing you to see if, for some reason, you qualify for Project Ranger. It would fit one of my possible hypotheses for why we might have procreated together."

"And I told you that they have the wrong guy." He didn't know what testing involved, but he could guarantee that he wasn't in any way, shape or form a Ranger. 

"If these are the people that I am familiar with, then putting you with me was no mistake." Her simple words chilled him to the bone. "We will commence testing."

"Can't I just sweep the floor or something?" he pleaded, but he was ignored. In a way that he didn't like.


	4. Chapter 4

"I could have told you that I wasn't Ranger material," Ziggy said, after all of Doctor K's testing was done. "Look, I know this sounds crazy, 'cause you're a genius and all, but what if these aren't the people you're thinking of? Or for that matter, they mixed me up with some future Ranger?"

He was, honestly, ready to flop over after everything that he'd done. No way was he a Ranger! Not that he'd held any delusions of ever being one.

"Your test results are on the extreme low end for Project Ranger." Her voice was still distorted; she hadn't let him back into their little living and work area.

"In other words, I'd suck as a Ranger. Hey, how about letting me back in? I've got stuff to do."

There was an audible, if distorted sigh, but her area slid open once more. He scrambled back in. "I said that they were low, not ineligible," she said, once they were both back inside. "Borderline, yes, but not impossible to train up. I will have to do more testing."

"Doc," he said, and she glared at him for using the nickname, "If I'm a Ranger, who's going to take care of you? I mean, you don't sleep very much and you don't know how to eat healthily. Face it, I was meant to be your assistant." No way in hell was he going through more testing or any training for being a Ranger, because he wasn't one.

Besides, he was kind of getting used to her. Funny, wasn't it?

"'Sides, even if I don't like the idea, if these people are right, we're going to have a kid together. And unless you have any idea on how we're going to do that, I'm going to have to be the pregnant guy."

As the words came out of his mouth, he knew he'd have nightmares about that, about getting pregnant. He'd woked up in a cold sweat several times in prison about the possibility of getting pregnant with someone else's kid.

But having some woman's kid didn't bother him quite as much. Especially since he knew Doctor K's habits by now. Even if he'd get nightmares, it wouldn't be so bad. She was extremely competent and even if she couldn't take care of herself, at least she'd know something about how his body worked. 

"I don't think you're the sleeping with someone type, anyway," Ziggy said. He had a good sense of his own libido, which was pretty high. Hers seemed pretty low - had better things to think about, after all.

"I would prefer not to." She finally spoke. "However, I researched Alelian Disorder last night, and a successful pregnancy on your end would be extremely unlikely."

"Yeah, and I don't wanna be pregnant, either. My hips are too narrow." His pelvis was definitely more male than female, a doctor had told him once when he'd been prescribed Terolalaine. Some guys with the condition had more female hips, but not him. He was more or less a guy with an extra opening where it shouldn't be.

She unexpectedly nodded at this. "I noticed that."

"So, yeah, not likely but who else is going to have the kid?" he asked. "That I hope we're not really going to have."

Doctor K cocked her head at him and then returned to her computer, signalling the end of the conversation as far as she was concerned. He didn't blame her - after all, who wanted to talk about being pregnant when the biggest priority was saving what was left of humanity?

He himself should be thinking about putting things away, and making sure she ate dinner. Maybe a squash lasagna - that would taste good. She'd like it.

* * *

The next day passed wihout incident. He made meals, did cleaning, and fetched things as she requested. She seemed preoccupied with whatever she was researching, and there was a Venjix attack on top of it. Her screen was showing DNA stuff half the time and the information for Ranger Green the other half, which puzzled him as he was pretty sure she was looking for a Ranger Black first, wasn't she?

"There will be two deliveries this morning," she informed him the next morning as he was serving her some cereal with marshmallows. Not that it was really good for her, but maybe if he satisfied her sweet tooth, things would go back to normal, instead of her staring at him like some lab specimen like she had the previous day. Even when she'd gotten some lab samples or something like that.

"Okay. I'll take care of it - them." It was something to do, after all.

"In the afternoon, while the Rangers are involved in a leisure activity, you will be training in the training room."

He gulped. "Uh, doc? Not a Ranger, remember?"

"It would be of use to me for you to know the basics of self-defense." She looked over at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I understand." He wasn't doing Ranger training, he was learning how to defend himself in case of something. Maybe their captors-of-sorts.

He went back to his duties, cleaning up after breakfast, keeping the place tidy, and receiving the first of two deliveries. Which turned out to be from the military pharmacy. One set of birth control pills for Doctor K, he noticed, and one for him. Terolalaine.

She was apparently not too keen on either of them getting pregnant at the moment, which he could so totally understand. 

The second delivery was a bed and bedding. A little single bed, which made no sense as Doctor K had one she really liked, and he didn't think she'd softened enough to get him one. Even a basic one.

"Doctor K," he called, "Where does the bed go?"

"It replaces your current bedding in the storage room," Doctor K said, not taking her eyes off whatever she was working on. "Please take care of it."

"Sure, Doc." He could live with that, having a proper bed. And bedding - was that a memory mattress? Sure, this was more a spare bed than anything else, but it sure beat what he'd been using!

He set up the bed, putting the sheets on it with some relish. They were green, which was probably because they were Corinth Military. Definitely not shabby. It would be great to sleep in a proper bed.

"Doc, I've got my bed set up. What made you finally decide I needed one?"

"I am still investigating the possibility that you might be part of Project Ranger." She still didn't look up from her computers. "Even if you are not, you are correct - you need proper bedding in order to correctly do your duties. When I was scanning you for Project Ranger, I noticed some deficiencies due to the way you were resting."

In other words, she finally noticed that he needed a proper bed. He wasn't complaining. Definitely wasn't complaining.

Now, if she would only realize that he was't meant to be a Ranger, that would be great.


End file.
